Chapter 35

Please note that the original text contains a significant amount of content. Here is the translation:

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After inviting guests twice, more than an hour had passed. When Yao Jing arrived, the Xide Building was already full of guests. Fortunately, Du Qian had come early and chosen a table upstairs, which was much quieter than the first floor.

"Here, sit down," Du Qian said. When facing Yao Jing, Du Qian felt much more at ease. Although Yao Jing was one of the three beauties of their year with a combat power of over 200,000, they were still classmates who had lived in the same circle for ten years, seeing each other frequently, so it felt much more relaxed.

Combat power and things like that seemed very distant to them. The Flying Tiger Team and such were legendary, but Yao Jing was real and tangible.

"I ordered eight dishes. Let's see how they taste. If it's not enough, we can order more. You know, Senior Brother has been making money lately, so don't be too polite," Du Qian said.

"Okay," Yao Jing responded, sitting opposite Du Qian, always looking down with few words.

"This is for you," Du Qian said, taking out a paper package and pushing it to Yao Jing.

Yao Jing opened it and glanced inside. Was this her salary? After hesitating for a moment, she didn't refuse and quietly put it away, making Du Qian feel a bit pained. His junior sister was really not being polite.

Did any of the guests he invited today show any politeness?

The dishes came quickly. Although there were many guests, the dishes were prepared in advance, so the speed was naturally fast.

After eating a few bites, Du Qian slowed down. The food was delicious, but he had already eaten two meals and was about 80% full. In front of his junior sister, he had to maintain some composure as a senior brother.

"Junior Sister, you said on the phone yesterday that you had something to talk about?" This time, it was Du Qian's turn to be puzzled. They were classmates, but after leaving school, they were from two different worlds and had little interaction.

Even if they had met yesterday, it didn't mean anything.

"Thank you."

"Huh? Thank you? What do you mean?" This was a bit nonsensical, a sudden "thank you" without any context. What did it mean?

Just as he was about to ask more, a commotion came from downstairs.

"Thump, thump..." The wooden stairs echoed as a group of people rushed up, wearing police uniforms and holding guns—some with pistols, others with long guns, fully armed. This was no small operation.

"Police from Pingchuan Police Bureau, everyone, don't panic," the leading officer said, waving his hand. The detectives split up, with the front person holding a pistol and a photo, and two others with long guns providing cover. This was a standard arrest operation.

The number of detectives who came up was considerable. Each group only needed to check two or three tables, so they moved very quickly.

A detective approached Du Qian's table, glanced around, and turned to face Du Qian. Clearly, the suspect they were looking for was male, and Yao Jing's small build made it obvious she wasn't the one they were after.

To be honest, although Du Qian was a patrol officer, he was nothing compared to these detectives. They were so professional; this was what real police looked like. His group of patrol officers were just a bunch of thugs in police uniforms, and the difference was huge.

"You... stand up, I'm talking to you, fatty." Just as Du Qian was marveling, the detective's gun was raised, pointing at him. As he moved, the two detectives providing support also raised their guns. With three guns pointing at him, Du Qian felt very uneasy.

It got worse. Upon hearing the detective's words, the other detectives immediately secured all possible escape routes, at least a dozen guns pointing at Du Qian's head.

"Don't shoot, it's a misunderstanding, we're on the same side," Du Qian was stunned. What was going on?

"Shut up, stand still, and don't move. Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, we'll find out at the station. Put your hands where I can see them, and don't move your feet. Move, and I'll shoot you," the leading officer said firmly.

This was the standard procedure for arresting a dangerous criminal. No matter who you were or what you said, the first step was to control the suspect. Everything else would be sorted out at the station in the interrogation room.

The reason for this was simple: the suspect was extremely dangerous, especially in a crowded public place. Not only were the detectives at risk, but so were the ordinary citizens.

As soon as the officer spoke, the people at the nearby tables stood up and ran far away. The scene was intense, and this was a serious situation.

"I..."

"Shut up, say another word, and I'll shoot."

"Special Forces are on the case, put down your guns and stand still," just as Du Qian was at a loss, Yao Jing stood up, her face calm.

Actually, Du Qian wasn't really afraid. His family background was clean, and his identity was transparent. He was a patrol officer, and there were many people who could vouch for him. The waiters here knew he had just invited the patrol chief, Leng Jun. At worst, he would just have to go to the station. Even if it was the Pingchuan headquarters, they were still on the same side. Going to the station was like visiting a relative; it wasn't a big deal.

"Shut... Special Forces?" The leading officer was about to tell Du Qian to shut up but stopped himself. Special Forces? No way. What was going on?

The Special Forces, detectives, and patrol officers were all part of the police, but in terms of hierarchy, the Special Forces were the top, followed by the detectives, then the logistics, and finally the patrol officers.

Were the unwritten rules not rules? There was a reason for their existence. Breaking the rules would offend more than just a few people.

Yao Jing didn't move or say anything else. A spiritual light flashed, and a spiritual knife appeared in her right hand, as if by magic. This was the spiritual weapon of a martial cultivator, easily summoned and dismissed, with boundless power.

"Be careful, she's a martial cultivator," the detectives tensed up. Some of them put away their guns, and their bodies also glowed with green light, revealing their own spiritual weapons.

Martial cultivators were indeed strong, and there were some in the detective team. While the detectives were not as strong as the Special Forces, they were much stronger than the patrol officers. At least half of the detective team were martial cultivators. Yao Jing's spiritual knife didn't scare them; they were hesitant about her identity.

"Miss, if you are from the Special Forces, please come with us. If we have offended you, I apologize," the leading officer said politely but firmly. The fugitive they were after was notorious. If he was really involved with the Special Forces, it would be a big problem.

Under normal circumstances, he would give the Special Forces face, but today, unless the head of the Special Forces, Fei Xue, was present, the case had to be handled.

"Nobody can touch him," Yao Jing said coldly. From the moment the detective approached their table, she had a feeling that something was wrong.

She couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, but as a new recruit, the detective's procedures seemed very standard. Even if she knew a lot about detective work, she couldn't find any flaws, but something just felt off.

If there was a problem, she had to act. Even if there wasn't, she would still intervene. With the support from above, who in Pingchuan City should she be afraid of?

"Miss, please calm down. The detectives are on a case, and irrelevant people should step back," the leading officer said through gritted teeth. Offending the Special Forces was a serious matter, but the fugitive had at least fifty lives on his hands and was extremely dangerous, despite his low cultivation. If he escaped, how could he face his colleagues in the police force?

Just as they were at an impasse, the stairs creaked, and a few more people came up from downstairs. The leader, a man with regular features, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, exuded a sense of authority and high position.

This man was around forty, wearing a crisp police uniform with a small golden star on his shoulder.

Those familiar with the police system knew that a high-ranking official had arrived. The golden star on the shoulder was not something anyone could wear. In the entire Pingchuan Police Bureau, only three people had the right to wear it.

In other words, apart from the head of the bureau, only two of the seven deputy directors had the right to wear the golden star, occupying the top three positions in the Pingchuan Police Bureau.

"I am Deputy Director Cheng Bupo of the Pingchuan Police Bureau. Whether you are a member of the Special Forces or not, you must come with me today. The case comes first in detective work."

The Special Forces were indeed powerful and sometimes operated under dual management. Even the head of the police bureau might not have much influence over them. However, in terms of rank, even Fei Xue couldn't match Cheng Bupo, who was a deputy director with real power.

It was definitely a misunderstanding, and Du Qian had given up. With the deputy director of the police bureau involved, Cheng Bupo, whom he had heard of, was the first deputy director and the second-in-command in the Pingchuan police system.

Both were deputy directors, but his aunt was just a powerless deputy director in a district, not a mere figurehead. The man in front of him was a high-ranking official with real power, capable of mobilizing thousands of people and standing on equal footing with the commander of the defense forces.

Such a person was beyond the reach of even a Special Forces member like Yao Jing, let alone the head of the Special Forces, Fei Xue.

Yao Jing slowly raised her head, a cold smile on her lips. "No one can leave. Whoever leaves, dies."

These words were said with authority and determination.

Blowing it out of proportion...

At least, that's what Du Qian thought. Yao Jing wasn't stupid, yet she was openly challenging the first deputy director of the Pingchuan Police Bureau, the second-in-command of the police force?

"Nine Ministers' Iron Guard is on the case, irrelevant people, step back." These words came out of Yao Jing's mouth, each word clear and distinct.

"Damn..." Even with dozens of armed detectives upstairs and the green glow of spiritual weapons, the curiosity of the crowd couldn't be suppressed.

Like Du Qian, almost everyone thought Yao Jing was exaggerating, or that she had a problem, to say such things. Even if she was exaggerating, couldn't she do it privately? Running to a public place like Xide and saying such things in front of the first deputy director and dozens of detectives was like asking for trouble.

Who were the Nine Ministers' Iron Guard? Anyone with a bit of knowledge knew they were the personal guards of the Nine Ministers. Pingchuan was just a second-tier city, and it was impossible to see the Nine Ministers' Iron Guard here. The Minister of Energy had visited yesterday, but he had already left. Even if there were any Iron Guard members, they wouldn't stay.

Cheng Bupo's eyes narrowed, and his face turned ashen as he looked at Yao Jing, who had fully raised her head.

Ordinary people might not know, but as a high-ranking official in Pingchuan City, how could he not know? Pingchuan City not only had the Nine Ministers' Iron Guard but also had them stationed there permanently.

The girl in front of him was indeed her.

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Note: The text ends abruptly, and the last part seems to be cut off. The translation reflects the content as provided.